Picture frame



Sept. 19, 195 0 C. C. MILES PICTURE FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7,1945 .S \M mm C 8 m Fig.6

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE --PICTURE FRAMECarroll C. Miles, Leominster, Mass. Application May 7, 1945, Serial No.592,301

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to picture frames or the like. I

Objects of the invention include the provision of a picture framecomprising a novel slip in back construction for quick and easyinsertion and removability of -the glass and the picture without theuseof any fasteners or the like; the provision of a novel andinexpensive picture frame having a sliding or slip in back, andguideways therefor, said guideways being originally formed integral withthe sliding back and being separated and formed by cutting out duringthe process of manufacture of the picture frame; and the provisionof apicture frame having superior appearance but made of inexpensivematerial such as cardboard, chipboard or the like, and comprising aframe forming the front or face. frame having secured thereto at therear surface thereof a stepped spacer board forming a glass well and apart of the guide for the slide or slip in back, the remainder of theguide being formed by the above described back unit comprising the backframeand the removable slip in back..

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a pictureframe as above described and constructed for simple and easy removal andreinsertionof the slip in back, the latter being guided in such a way asto completely avoid any interference with the sliding action so that theslip in back is always easily inserted without catching or canting.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view showing the back of the completed frame;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the slip in backpartially removed;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the frame of Fig. 1 looking in the directionof arrow 3;

Fig. 4 is a section of line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the complete frame with the slip inback removed;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the blank from which the back of the frame ismade;

Fig. 7 is a view showing the blank from which the stepped spacer boardis made, and

Fig. 8 is an edge view of the blank of Fig. 7 looking in the directionof arrow 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the present invention comprises ingeneral, a frame l and a removable back l2, the latter being slidablyremovable and insertable in the frame Ill. The

back l2 may be referred to as a slipin back and is provided with aneasel M which may have a pair of right angle edges as at I6 forsupporting the frame either upright or on a side edge thereof.

The frame In is made up of a generally rectangular open frame board l8forming the face of the frame, and this board may be appropriatelydecorated as by embossing or ornamental coverings which do not form anypart of the present invention. However, the frame board l8 forms asupport for the glass around the edges thereof as illustrated in Fig. 4.Superimposed on the frame board I8 there is a spacer board which is madeas illustrated in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. A piece of board of desired size iscut out in the center as at 22 to form an opening and. two corners arecut off as of 24 for a purpose to be described.

20 This blank is scored along the lines 26 forming side elements 28 anda top element 30 which are folded over to rest in superimposed positionon the blank as indicated in broken lines 32. The elements '28 and 30are narrower than the remainder of the frame so that the spacer board isfinally formed having steps clearly shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, thebottom steps being formed of the parts 34 and the second smaller stepsby the elements 28 and 30. It is to be noted that the spacer board isopen at the bottom as at 36 in Fig. 5, except for the original layer 34,and it will be seen that the glass 26 rests on frame [8 completelyaround the periphery thereof and is contained laterally by the elements34 of the frame which extend all the way around the edges of the glass.Naturally, the picture will rest directly on the glass.

The back of the frame is formed from a single blank illustrated in Fig.6 and having a portion 35, wider andlonger than the integral portion411. The portion 40 is folded over on portion 38 forming the broken linelocation 42 and the two parts are glued together. This double back isthen superimposed on the rear of the front frame above described withportion 40 fitting in the opening defined by the spacer board elements28 and 30, with portion 38 now lying at the top The portion 38 is gluedabout its edges to the spacer board elements 28 and 30 so that theportion 40, altho glued to portion 38, is free of the spacer boardframe. The edges of portion 38 which are glued to the spacer boards areindicated as 58 in Figs. 1, 2, and 6.

With the parts in this position, the blank portion 38 is cut as by a diealone a line starting at point 44 in Fig. 1, continuing around on a line46 to a point 48 and also along lines 50 forming the easel. The lines 52represent scores so that the easel, altho attached to the back, maypivot on score lines 52. The frame is now complete except for cuttingalong line 54 to free the end of the easel from the back. It isparticularly pointed out that the cutting operation just abovedescribed, applies only to the portion 38 and since this portion hasbeeng'lued around its edgesto the step'28 and 30, a back is formed inthe shape shown best in Fig. 2 and therefore the slip in back [2 isproduced. The edges as at 56 of the portion 40 form tongues which arelocated to slide on the frame board step 34 in lateral contact withelements 28 andunder 'elements 58 formed from portion 38 of :theoriginal blank shown in Fig. 6. Also, the portion 40 extends up under apart 60 of the original-blank portion 38 and the remainder of the latterforms rthesback from which the easeliscut.

:Hence, the-slip inback is neatly held down bycthe :elements' 58 and L60which originally were zalpart of the back as -'has been described.

From the above description, it will be seen'that the slipiin' back l2has rarpair zof side'tongues56 sand a top or inner portion til-which are.slidably g'u-ided on'elements 3t :andunder elements 58 andzfil] havinglateral engagement with the" elezmentsifl. The rslipin back is cutoutalong the curved line :64 to form an accurate locating imieans therefor;so.that the slip in back always :comestoTestin'the .samerrelation tothe front .fname. 'aAlso, .the original :portion 38 is cut on :curves166., Fig. 2, to separate ther-slipincba'ck so .itzmayibe released :andwithdrawn and calso'to locate: the'sslip: in back at this .end. and to:provide an aeasy'. entering :guide.

The slip in back may be covered with tornamental: material .iprior toits -.-.assembly in .which :caseicuttingalongilinesulifi and: 54completes the .fnamerready .forlshipment, or ornamental imateiialmayibezapplied to the :frontframe i8 and -foldedtover .theeedges of .the'back'frame I10 after lassembly 1of1the:..pa'r-ts. zWhen the frame. iscom- ;p'1ete'd,ithe1'partf1 0. is .U -sha.ped,ihaving itsiclosediuppermost and t-the: legs idependin'g, the.- legs bingxspa'ced andopen: at the bottom, receiving :thesslip-inxback l2.

. Having zthus1describedrmy invention 1 and the iadvantages'ithereofll'do not wi'sh tobe limited lto Lthe :cletails therein:disclosedgotherwise than msi set forthdn 'theo'claims, "but what I.c1aim .is:

1 13A picture .frame comprisinga'an opencontinuous front face frame, anopen stepped spacer frame thereon, the spacer frame being substantiallyalined at its exterior edges with the corresponding edges of the frontface frame, but having its inner edges terminating short of the inneredges of the front face frame to form a plurality of steps, one stepforming a well for a pane of glass or the like, a back including twoparts, one of which is U-shaped and secured Lin'fixed overhangingrelation to the spacer frame to form a guideway and the other part beingvslidably guided therein and having a stepped periphery to interfit insaid guideway and to form a continuous flat surface with the U-shapedpart at the back of the :picture frame, the edge of "the said other partbearing on another said step to prevent lateral motion.

2. Method of making a picture frame comprising the steps of assemblingan open front face frame and an intermediate open spaceriframet'forminga blank having a portion smaller than the remainderthereof, folding the smaller :portion 'over 501']. the larger remainderof the :Jo'lank, securing the :folded blank portions to- ;gether,lpl-acingthefolded blank on the spacer zframe with the smaller portionunderneath and "fitting .in :the spacer frame,. securing theoverhangingxedges of the larger portion of the blank to the. spacerframe,=.an-d cutting out a central portion of the larger portion ofthexblank inwardlycf the-edges of the smaller portion thereof, toileavethe 5sma1ler portion edges free of an'cl' undernthe edge portions of thelarger'blank portion which are secured tothe spacer frame.

1 CARROLL C. MILES.

.' REFERENCES CITED "The following references are of record in the.UNI'IED S'TATES PATENTS Number );Name Date ,192,128 :Maux..June'19,;18'77 275,316 Wright Apr. 3,..1883 3577,6716 iBartoszewiczFeb. .23, .1897 1513;991 iStengel Oct..:25, 11898 11,594,339.=.Rober-.tson .July 27, 1926 '3.l.;634;92l -Straus July ..5, 219271148425473 IG-lassner .J.an.'526, 1-932 .13845j680 FRaskin Feb. 16,193212)0925348 :Cross Sept. '7, 1-937 2,189,521 King :Feb. "6, -19401233041287 Avery Dec. 1-5, .1942

